Kumbh Mela: How the journey started

Recounting the cultural, historic and conventional legacy of Kumbh Mela of Praygraj (Allahabad), the second session of India At the moment Group’s day-long occasion, ‘Sangam – Confluence of Minds’, supplied views on its historic significance and origin of the divine occasion.

The primary session The What, When and The place of Kumbh’ noticed 4 audio system provide insights into how the Kumbh got here into existence and numerous different elements surrounding the wonderful historical past of the mela, which is taken into account the biggest human gathering on Earth.

Audio system Bharat Gupta, member trustee of Indira Gandhi Nationwide Centre for the Arts; Santosh Kumar Shukla, affiliate professor on the Faculty of Sanskrit and Indic Research, Jawaharlal Nehru College; Dr DP Dubey, writer of Praygraj: The Website of Kumbha Mela and Dr Ram Nath Jha, affiliate professor, Faculty of Sanskrit and Indic Research, Jawaharlal Nehru College shared their respective theories and views on the origination of Kumbh.

In addition they argued whether or not the gathering at Prayag holds extra significance that each one the opposite locations the place the Kumbh Mela is held.

This 12 months, the Ardh Kumbh Mela is being held in Praygraj from January 15 to March four and thousands and thousands of persons are anticipated to attend the pageant. There’s the Purna Kumbh Mela as properly and occurs each 12 years whereas the Ardh Kumbh Mela occurs each six years.

Nevertheless, not all of the audio system had been in settlement. One of many audio system, Santosh Kumar Shukla mentioned that there isn’t any point out of Ardh Kumbh within the Puranas.

The audio system touched numerous matters together with the significance of varied areas the place the Kumbh Mela is held Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik.

Every speaker shared insights into why the spiritual gathering is held solely within the 4 areas. One of many mythological theories prompt by Bharat Gupta was that Lord Vishnu dropped Amrit or the drink of immortality at 4 locations and these are the present-day websites of the Kumbh Mela.

Commenting on the existence of Saraswati river (one of many three rivers that meet at Prayag), Bharat Gupta mentioned, Beete teen dashakon mein hue reesarch aur Nasa se mile pramaanon se saaf ho chuka hai ki sarasvate mithak nahin balki ek etihaasit nadee hai. Lekin jab sarasvatee vilupt ho gaee, tab usee raaste se yamuna nadee bah rahee hai. (The historic river Saraswati River will not be a fable. Analysis finished within the final three a long time and proof from NASA has been clarified that Saraswati will not be a fable however an irritable river. However when the Saraswati turns into extinct, the river Yamuna is flowing by means of the identical means.)

Creator DP Dubey cleared many misconceptions concerning the Kumbh Mela as properly. He mentioned, Kumbh ka Sambandh Sangam se katee nahin hai. Kumbh ek raashi hai aur iska gyaan Bhaarateeyon ke Greek sabhyata se second century edee mein ho chuka tha. (Kumbh will not be associated to Sangam. Kumbh is an quantity and its data was obtained within the 2nd century AD from the Greek civilization of the Indians. Due to this fact, Kumbh Mela is related to the Ganga River.

Dubey additionally mentioned that the Kumbh Mela is a pageant celebrated for taking tub within the Ganga River as many individuals imagine that it’s a option to cleanse off sins dedicated by a person.

The session additionally touched upon the purpose whether or not Kumbh Mela was being politicised by political events. To this query, the audio system mentioned that it has been the case for hundreds of years. DP Dubey claimed that almost all political events have related themselves with the Kumbh Mela.

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